How I defeated low back pain

Anyone who has suffered from low back pain knows how debilitating it can be. I have had low back pain in the past but several months ago I had the worst low back pain of my life. It was impossible to sit anywhere without being in significant pain and when it was at its worst, I could not find a comfortable position to sleep in. I could literally not lift my left foot up to move it into the car or to put on my socks. Sometimes, I was stuck on the ground and could not get up. It was terrible and demoralizing.

I tried all of the common remedies: back bend stretching exercises, pain medication, yoga exercises, lumbar rolls, use of a back brace, etc. Some of these remedies had worked in the past, but this time, they only provided very mild relief or none at all. I knew that the cause was most likely my posture. Being 6 foot 6 and 250 pounds and having a job that requires constant sitting, there is constant pressure exerted upon my back all day. Although that was a problem, the bigger issue was that I had a leather sofa that I would sink into at night and sometimes fall asleep in. This was throwing my back out of alignment eventually causing the disc to slip out and press upon the nerve.

The only place I could find at home that gave me any type of relief was sitting in a reclining chair and leaning backwards. It was terrific because it allowed me to sit while taking the pressure completely off my lower back. I could even fall asleep in it without aggravating my back. I immediately realized that I had to move this chair into my living room and use this as my new seat at night. For a few days, it was also my new bed. No more sinking into leather couches.

By making this change, it helped put my back into alignment. I also bought a new Shiatsu massager for my work chair, which is helpful when a flare up occurs but I have not needed to use it since using the recliner chair. Nevertheless, I still keep the massager over the chair because the knobs press into the lower part of my back and force me into an upright position during the day. Another thing I did to help was to get up out of my chair and take a walk around the hall several times a day, making sure I was standing as straight as I could.

The point is that posture plays a huge role in low back pain and you can get into bad habits that cause this problem. One way to relieve and rid yourself of the pain is making major changes to your posture by getting rid of bad habits. Now, I can play basketball again with my kids, paint for a few days without back pain, and sleep in my regular bed without pain.

The interesting thing is that no one I had ever spoken to, including a physician, had ever mentioned trying to relieve back pain by using a recliner chair. It was such a simple solution but one that I discovered myself and wanted to share with you. Please pass it on to anyone you know with low back pain.